


Safe and dry in my sea of troubles.

by Kaesteranya



Series: Arson [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-04
Updated: 2011-02-04
Packaged: 2017-10-15 09:29:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaesteranya/pseuds/Kaesteranya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Don't ask, don't tell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe and dry in my sea of troubles.

**Author's Note:**

> This one contains spoilers for the death of a particular character in the later half of the first TV series, and in the later chapters of the manga. The title is taken from the 31 Days theme for May 30, 2008.

When the Colonel disappeared again and none of his subordinates could find him in any of the usual places, the first thing Riza Hawkeye did was check the date. Her findings confirmed her suspicions, and she promptly told Havoc and the rest of the crew to Proceed as Usual for the rest of the day. They followed her because they trusted her word, and everything went by as they normally did with one glaring difference – the Flame Alchemist himself was absent. Riza, however, was biding her time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to deal with the matter.

 

Once the evening bell struck, Riza logged out, took her coat and left headquarters without a word of explanation. She went to her colonel’s apartment, stopping over only once at a store to buy some popcorn. She entered the place with her wares in tow easily, for she had a key that all of the other women of the colonel envied, only that she was not his woman but his subordinate.

 

“I figured you would want something to eat by now, sir.”

 

“Ah. Thank you.”

 

Roy Mustang turned from the screen just long enough to smile at Riza before he went back to what he was doing – there was stack of reels sitting beside him, and a bigger box full of them at his feet. Riza glanced at the projector screen – there was an old movie playing, one that she remembered her parents, especially her father, enjoying very much because it was a romance set against the backdrop of a desperate war. Riza slipped into the kitchen, puttering about the area with the ease and familiarity of someone who had been in the place a million times before. She stepped out with two beers and a generously large bowl of popcorn; she set both on the coffee table in front of Roy.

 

“Do you want me to join you?”

 

“You’re welcome to.”

 

He was lying through his teeth and doing it absentmindedly, as though they were talking about menial, simple things. She knew for a fact that he needed to be alone, that it was the day that he and Maes Hughes used to play hokey at the office and hole themselves up at Roy’s place to watch old, old films. Roy still continued the routine because it was the only thing he knew how to do – keep up a routine, keep one’s self occupied, keep one from going just a little bit crazy over the fact that there really wasn’t much else to live for.

 

Riza knew that she was not wanted but she had to stay anyway, if only to make her feel better about things. So she retreated into the kitchen, made herself some coffee, and hunkered down for the night. In the meantime, Roy reached into the popcorn bowl and opened up one of the beers.


End file.
